We'll be back soon, says Carrick

ESPN staff

April 10, 2014

David Moyes: We made schoolboy mistakes

Michael Carrick believes Manchester United will be back in the Champions League sooner rather than later after their hopes of qualifying for next season's competition were seemingly ended with defeat to Bayern Munich in the last eight.

United suffered a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Bayern, as they went down 3-1 at the Allianz Arena to Pep Guardiola's side.

David Moyes' side, seven points off fourth place in the Premier League, are now likely to miss out on the Champions League for the first time since the 1995-96 season next year. Winning a fourth European Cup had appeared to be their last chance at securing qualification.

Carrick accepted United's probable absence from next season's competition is punishment for the club's poor league form this campaign.

"It's not good enough," Carrick told Sky Sports, when asked about United's failure to secure a return to Europe's elite competition. "We've said that over the last few weeks. This club should be in the Champions League.

"It was always going to be tough [against Bayern] and the reason we are not in the Champions League next season is not so much because of this [result]. It's our league form throughout the season and we take responsibility for that.

"It's over a long period of time that we have had too many bad results and ultimately, we pay for that. This [Champions League] is where we want to be. This is where we have been for a long time and this is where we will be back I'm sure in the not too distant future.

"We have to pick ourselves up, finish the season as well as we can and then come back next season believing we can challenge for the title again. That's all that matters."

Carrick went on to express his disappointment at United's Champions League exit in Munich, as he reflected on missed opportunities to surprise the reigning European champions.

"We are bitterly disappointed to go out," he said. "We put ourselves in a great position getting the first goal and it was 20-odds seconds after that we conceded. So that was a big blow for us.

"The high of scoring and then conceding, it was a blow, but that is something we have to deal with. Even then we were still well in the game and we had a chance when Danny [Welbeck] has laid it off to Wayne [Rooney] and I don't know if it bobbled up or was a bit quick for Wayne, but it didn't go for us.

"They have had so much possession around our box and we have defended so well in both games and all it takes is for something to drop for them and in the end, it did. It is a defeat and one we have to take."